Social media is such a pervasive thing in our society that it’s easy to forget that we’re only in the second decade of widespread global use. Believe it or not, we’ll look back in 15 or 20 years and say social media was only in its infancy in 2016.

Myspace launched in 2003, Facebook in 2004, Twitter in 2006, Instagram in 2010, Pinterest and Snapchat in 2011, and Periscope in 2015. In other words, the oldest mainstream social networking site on the Internet is less than 15 years old. The newest ones have only been around for months.

However, in just a decade and a half, social media has left an undeniable mark on society, and business in particular. What started as a niche resource is now considered one of the most powerful marketing tools a business has at its disposal.